The present invention relates generally to instant messaging (IM) communications. More specifically, the present invention is a system and method for sharing user event information (such as, and without limitation, presence on a network) among mobile (wireless) devices and those connected to fixed IP networks such as the Internet.
Instant messaging has become a mainstay of Internet communications.
As used in this application, instant messaging includes the ability for one user to immediately become aware of the presence of another user on the network. Thus the mere event of user A signing onto the Internet gives rise to an indication to user B that the user A is present on the network. Once user B is aware of user A""s presence on the network, user B can send instant messages to user A with a high level of confidence that the messages are being received in near real-time.
America Online Instant Messenger(trademark) (AIM) and ICQ(copyright) are two examples of instant messaging services that allow users on a network to identify the on-line presence of other users who have been associated in a database, commonly referred to as a buddy list. In this fashion, users can know when individuals on their buddy list are on line and hence facilitate instant communications. As of 2000, AOL""s statistics on its instant messaging users indicate that these users are producing approximately 476,000,000 messages a day online. ICQ members produce nearly 350,000,000. At any one time there are 1 million people using these systems. AIM and ICQ are just two of the available messaging systems. Instant messaging is offered through virtually every web portal including Yahoo, Netscape, and MSN.
Two technical innovations are generally responsible for the current popularity of instant messaging on fixed IP networks. In 1996, a method was designed to fix addresses to users, allowing people to build a buddy list, similar to an e-mail address book, of friends and colleagues to communicate with via instant messaging. The second major innovation is the free distribution of these applications. This began in 1997 when AOL made its Instant Messenger, which had been available to their paying customers for years, freely available for anyone on the Internet to download and begin using. From this simple beginning just a few years ago, instant messaging has currently become ubiquitous on fixed IP networks with IM clients existing for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix.
However, even though instant messaging is commonly used on fixed networks, it is not generally available for wireless devices. What is needed is a method and apparatus for sharing user event information, such as presence on a network, among mobile devices and those connected to fixed IP networks such as the Internet. This would allow general availability of instant messaging between personal computers on fixed networks with wireless devices on wireless networks. In this fashion communication among individuals who are both on a fixed IP network such as the Internet and those on a cellular/PCS network can be facilitated.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to permit instant messaging between wireless devices and fixed IP network devices.
It is also an object of the present invention to record events when wireless devices connect to the wireless network so that the events can be broadcast to instant messaging services of various types.
It is an additional object of the present invention to receive events when users log on to fixed networks so that the events can be broadcast to instant messaging services of various types for wireless devices.
It is yet another object of the present invention to establish interconnection between cellular/PCS networks and fixed IP networks in order to allow instant messaging to take place between wireless and fixed IP networks.
It is an additional object of the present invention to establish interconnection between wireless users on cellular/PCS networks in order to allow instant messaging to take place between various wireless users.
The present invention is a system and method for sharing mobile user event information between wireless networks and fixed IP networks such as the Internet. The phrase xe2x80x9cmobile user event informationxe2x80x9d will be understood to mean information regarding the presence of a wireless or mobile device on its associated network. The present invention provides the advantage of bridging the gap between the instant messaging services of fixed IP networks and wireless devices, including but not limited to wireless devices that are enabled via the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).
This means that a user of an instant messaging service will be able to include in the wireless users in the buddy list. These new buddy list members include cellular or PCS wireless users whose networks are integrated with a service according to the present invention, as well as the devices of users that are on a wireless packet data network or are on a paging network. It will be understood in this description that a xe2x80x9cwireless devicexe2x80x9d includes a wireless telephone (cellular, PCS, or configured according other wireless standards, such as GSM), a pager, a personal digital assistant, a vending machine, a vehicle, an appliance, or any other instrument or device that is connectable to an interconnected global network of networks (e.g., the Internet) via its respective wireless network.
As in the case of an Internet-connected user, the cellular/PCS subscriber can also establish an instant messaging list that may contain an Internet messaging subscriber, a wireless packet data device, a paging device, another cellular PCS subscriber, or indeed any other type of device and associated address that one would normally find within a fixed IP network. Thus, when a cellular user logs onto his cellular network, the various instant messaging services are notified of the cellular user so that an individual at a fixed IP network address can send instant messages or make telephone calls to the cellular user as appropriate.
One aspect of the present invention is a mobile event server (MES) that is connected to the home location register (HLR) platform at a wireless operator""s switching facility, which is itself connected to a short messaging service (SMS) server. The MES is also connected to a fixed IP network (e.g., the Internet). This MES structure facilitates the sharing of mobile user event information, and provides mobile users with IM information about fixed IP network users. The MES may also be referred to by the trade name of IM Anywhere server.